Method and System for Partitioning Directories

1. A method of determining when to partition a directory, said method comprising: monitoring accesses to said directory, wherein said directory comprises a listing of files; monitoring waiting requests to access said directory, wherein said waiting requests are queued to be granted; counting waiting requests to access said directory, wherein a first counter tracks exclusive access requests to said directory and a second counter tracks shared access requests to said directory, wherein said directory is primed for partitioning upon determining that one of the first and second counters is greater than a threshold value related to a plurality of heuristics, wherein said threshold value is lower for said first counter than for said second counter; and generating a trigger if said directory is primed for partitioning, wherein said trigger is configured to cause a file system to partition said directory.

2. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said monitoring waiting requests to access said directory comprises examining a number of wait entries within a wait queue for reader-writer lock associated with said directory.

3. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said monitoring waiting requests to access said directory comprises: incrementing a waiting access counter for every waiting request that is queued; and decrementing said waiting access counter for every queued waiting request that is subsequently granted access said directory.

4. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of heuristics is user programmable.

5. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said waiting requests to access said directory comprise shared access requests.

6. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said waiting requests to access said directory comprise exclusive access requests.

7. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said waiting requests to access said directory comprise exclusive access requests and shared access requests.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising: tracking an amount of time over which a number of waiting requests to access said directory is greater than a threshold value; and wherein said directory is primed for partitioning upon determining that said amount of time exceeds a prescribed time period threshold associated with said plurality of heuristics.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method of determining if a directory is to be partitioned, said method comprising: monitoring accesses to said directory, wherein said directory comprises a listing of files; monitoring waiting requests to access said directory, wherein said waiting requests are queued to be granted; counting waiting requests to access said directory, wherein a first counter tracks exclusive access requests to said directory and a second counter tracks shared access requests to said directory, wherein said directory is primed for partitioning upon determining that one of the first and second counters is greater than a threshold value related to a plurality of heuristics, wherein said threshold value is lower for said first counter than for said second counter; and generating a trigger if said directory is primed for partitioning, wherein said trigger is configured to cause a file system to partition said directory.

10. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said monitoring waiting requests to access said directory comprises examining a number of wait entries within a wait queue for reader-writer lock associated with said directory.

11. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said monitoring waiting requests to access said directory comprises: incrementing a waiting access counter for every waiting request that is queued; and decrementing said waiting access counter for every queued waiting request that is subsequently granted access to said directory.

12. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said waiting requests to access one or more content within said directory comprise shared access requests.

13. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said waiting requests to access one or more content within said directory comprise exclusive access requests.

14. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said waiting requests to access said directory comprise exclusive access requests and shared access requests.

15. The computer readable storage medium as described in claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises: tracking an amount of time over which a number of waiting requests to access said directory is greater than a threshold value; and wherein said directory is primed for partitioning upon determining that said amount of time exceeds a prescribed time period threshold associated with said plurality of heuristics.

16. A directory partition system, comprising: at least one computer processor configured to: monitor accesses to one or more content within a directory, wherein said directory comprises a listing of files; monitor waiting requests to access said directory, wherein said waiting requests are queued to be granted; counting waiting requests to access said directory, wherein a first counter tracks exclusive access requests to said directory and a second counter tracks shared access requests to said directory, wherein said directory is primed for partitioning upon determining that one of the first and second counters is greater than a threshold value related to a plurality of heuristics, wherein said plurality of heuristics is user programmable, wherein said threshold value is lower for said first counter than for said second counter; and generate a trigger if said directory is primed for partitioning, wherein said trigger is configured to cause said directory to become partitioned; at least one memory, coupled to the at least one computer processor, configured to provide the at least one computer processor with instructions.

17. The directory partition system as described in claim 16 , wherein said at least one computer processor is further configured to increment responsive to every waiting request that is queued, and to decrement responsive to every queued waiting request that is subsequently granted access to said directory.

18. The directory partition system as described in claim 16 , wherein said at least one computer processor is further configured to examine a number of wait entries within a wait queue for reader-writer lock associated with said directory.

19. The directory partition system as described in claim 16 , wherein said waiting requests to access one or more content within said directory comprise shared access requests and exclusive access requests.

20. The directory partition system as described in claim 16 wherein said at least one computer processor is further configured to track an amount of time over which a number of waiting requests to access said directory is greater than a threshold value, and determine that said directory is primed for partitioning when said amount of time exceeds a prescribed time period threshold associated with said plurality of heuristics.